MAIL NEWS.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2688, 18 November 1882, Page 3

MAIL NEWS.

INCIDENTS OP THE EGYPTIAN WAR.

Whatever clemency it may be desirable to show to an ignorant people, both justice and policy imperatively demand the exemplary punishment of eleven men who stand prominently forward as the cause of all that has happened in Egypt, as the instigators of the atrocities, and the principals in crimes for which their tools have already been executed. These are the three original Colonels, Arabi, Ali Fehrni, and Abdelal; their later colleagues, Toulba and Eoubi ; the leading and most hostile members of the Ministry. Mahmoud Samy and Mahmoud Fehmy ; together with Abdallah Nedim and Hassan Moussa-el-Akad and Sheikhs Esad and Bladrassi. The severest punishment of these men, with lesser penalties inflicted on perhaps 100 more, will alone prevent the recurrence of similar disasters. Among the most brilliant and spirited incidents of this brilliant little war, the capture of Zagazig takes a foremost place. It was effected by the active Commandant of the 6th Bengal Cavalry, with Lieutenant Murdoch, of the Engineers, and five troopers of the 6th Bengal Cavalry. The rest of the corps had all been thrown out in the headlong gallop from the battlefield. The little party dashed through the crowd assembled round the station, and there found four trains laden with soldiers with the steam up, and at the point of departure. They reined up in front of the first engine, and, with levelled pistols, ordered the engineer to dismount. He refused, and was at once shot; the rest bolted, as did the passengers, including some Pashas, whose luggage was taken, and thousands of troops fled across the country. The British cavaly came up half an hour later. Mahmoud Pasha Baroudi, who was arrested at Cairo, was Arabi’s Prime Minister. He is of Turkish origin, and spent some years in the offices of the Porte at Constantinople, but he was born at Cairo, and was President of the Council in the National Ministry, which took office in February, 1882. The following is a brief outline of his career:—On his return from Constantinople, Ismail, the late Khedive, made him colonel of a cavalry regiment. On his marriage with the daughter of Ismail’s nurse he was made aide-de-camp. Discovering his wife in a compromising situation with a musician, Mahmoud killed the co-respondent and obtained a divorce from the Khedive, after which he married a sister of Mansour Pasha. Under the Nubar Ministry he was made Pref ect of Police at Cairo, and created Pasha. Mahmoud, then, in concert with the army officers and the Khedive, got up the emeute of February, 1879, which upset the European Ministry and marked the beginning of the “National movement.” He was then named Minister of Public Works in the Cherif-Ragheb Ministry. When Chcrif placed his resignation in Tewfik’s hand Mahmoud was made Minister of Yakoofs, or Ecclesiastical Domains. In 1881 he was forced upon the Khedive as Minister of War by the army; but in July Riaz and the Khedive compelled him to retire. In September he had his revenge, for when the military revolt occurred which upset Riaz and placed Cherif in office, Cherif was compelled to accept Mahmoud Samy as Minister of War at the dictation of Arabi. When Cherif fell and Arabi became War Minister himself, Mahmoud Samy was made President of the Council, and ever since ho has been Arabi’s righthand man. Arabi has done nothing without Mahmoud, and after Arabi Mahmoud is the most dangerous leader of the revolt in Egypt. A correspondent of the “ Daily News” who travelled from Zagazig to Cairo, says : —“ At Bn Chass, where we passed one night at the house of a Greek who had remained shut up therein since the bombardment of the Alexandria forts, I learned some interesting particulars as to what occurred after the capture of Tel-el-Kebir. Arabi, accompanied by a superior officer, and about twenty horsemen, reached the station on horseback at half-past twelve on the day of the fight. The horses could hardly stand, and man and beast looked as if they could go no further. They waited at the station for the usual train coming from Cairo, and immediately it arrived the engine was reversed and Arabi and his party proceeded by it to the capital. During the next hour about 150 horsemen in sorry plightpassedby ingroups of five or ten. For the following few days a number of stragglers, all of whom were without arms, came along and dispersed among the villages. A good many were sick or wounded, and were helped along by companions. My informant told me that as the straggler’s passed along the line they chanted the praises of the Queen, who had dispersed Arabi’s army and allowed them to return to their homes. When it was known that Arabi had been defeated there was [quite a panic among tae peasantry. Women went about screaming that the Nazarenes were coming, crying and wringing their hands. Ail the cattle wore driven into the villages, and the inhabitants remained shut up with them for the whole day. When, however, they saw that our soldiers did not interfere with them, they went out and resumed their usual occupations. Most of the people seemed perfectly indifferent as to who governed them, and many told me plainly that they did not care to whom they paid their taxes, whether it was the Sultan, the Khedive, or the English, so long as they were left in peace to follow their agricultural pursuits. They seemed particularly to object to having their friends and relatives torn away from their midst to swell the ranks of the army, and to be compelled to furnish contributions of straw and barley.

The Cairo correspondent of the “ Stan j

(lard” gives an account of a visit to the Arab Hospital, where 200 wounded Egyptian soldiers were then lying. The greater portion of these, he says, were 'wounded at Tel-el-Kobir, but some were brought down here after the fight at Kassassin. “ The hospital was admirably clean, and its general order loft nothing to be desired. The doctor told me that most of the cases were serious, as the vast majority of wounded managed to make their way back to their homes, and only those unable to move were after the fight collected and sent in here. A large number of the cases were wounded by shrapnel shell, and an Egyptian officer told me that it was impossible to stand against our shrapnel when the artillery obtained the proper range, r which,’ he added, ‘ fortunately for us was not often the case.’ He remarked that the guns abandoned at Mahuta, and in the fight at Kassassin, were deserted owing to our shells bursting at the right range. Certainly our victories have been due in no slight degreeto the terrible effect of the artillery fire, and it is clear that other conditions being equal, victory will in future be with the army whose gunners are the most accurate judges of distance. I conversed with many of the wounded soldiers. It was singular how absolutely ignorant they were of the incidents of the fight in which they were engaged. Lady Strangford has arrived with staff and appliances for nursing 150 wounded. The Khedive has placed Arabi Pasha’s house at her disposal, a very suitable use for it, and will at once take our seriously wounded there from the Arab hospital, which will relievo the strain there.” Intelligence has been received from Col. Milne-Home, M.P. for Berwick-upon-Tweed, stating that he is now with hie regiment, the Royal Horse Guards Blue, at Cairo, after having been seriously ill. He thus describes the charge in the dark at Kassassin :—“ Niue guns were flashing in our teeth ; and, worse still, there was the greeting of the musketry of infantry, in what formation we knew not. The regiment dashed up against all this with a cheer at a gallop.” After this Col. Homo can recollect nothing but a whiz of bullets close to his helmet, a terrific duststorm hiding even his bridle hand, and then after the charge finding himself alone in utter silence, and with nothing alive near him except one of his own men, dismounted and slightly wounded. He gave him his stirrup to hold on by first, and then found a riderless horse for him, the Colonel being all right except that the scale of his helmet was shot away and part of his scabbard strap gone. For what seemed a long time they went about searching for the rest. At last they found some more stragglers of their regiment, and after cautious scouting got back into camp, cheered and welcomed by every one from the General to the troopers. It seems from another source that Colonel Home was shot through the finger. Hid I tell you, says a correspondent, how the first train was captured upon our arrival at Zag-a-zig after the celebrated march ? I think not, and it is worth recording. Colonel Macnaghten, of the 13th Bengal Lancers, who was with us, perceived a long train ready to steam out of the station, and, poor as we comparatively were in rolling stock, even after capturing the large number that lay at Tel-el-Kebir, he resolved at all hazards to take it. The idea of a man on horseback pitting himself against a locomotive! Up to it he, however, rode, accompanied by his orderly and a few troopers, and commanded the driver to stop his engine. The reply was a bullet from a first-class carriage window, which killed the unlucky orderly. The engine steamed contemptuously away, leaving the Colonel nonplussed. But here the luck stepped in which has so conspicuously followed us. Lo! a train of stray camels appeared crossing the line. The leader ran a-muck against the locomotive, was tumbled over by the cowcatcher, and was speedily reduced to a dead lump of bones and flesh, which, squeezed between iron and earth, completely stopped all progress, the engine going slowly at the time. It came to a dead standstill—the hero of the bullet was dragged out of the carriage, the driver was cast shrieking from his place, and the booty was fairly won. When Arabi constructed the big dam across the canal at Tel-el-Kebir, which was to complete the wonderful Arabian Plevna —guaranteed to stand six months’ siege at least—it was considered absolutely necessary to obtain the approval of the saint. As Balak did with Balaam, so did Arabi with the holy sage. He conducted him everywhere; showed him the Christian, and bade him curse him ; led him over his works, displayed his army, and demanded a blessing on his arms. When they came to the wonderful dam, the saint frowned ominously, and cried, “ What, my son, is this ?” “ Holy father,” replied the rebel chieftain, “ this is to cut off all the water supply from the odious enemy.” “ This may not be,” retorted the Recluse sternly; " know that the hateful Christian, though lamentably benighted and besotted, and grievously arrogant to boot, is, after all, an erring child of Allah. Water is given for all creatures. He has a right to water like the rest. Open a way, that at least some of the precious stream may moisten his parched throat.” And actually we found, on arrival at Tel-el-Kebir, that reluctantly enough, no doubt, Arabi had obeyed the sage’s mandate. Through the centre of the dam an opening had been made, about six feet wide, by way of which the muddy stream was percolating slowly. Our water became low enough and foul enough, but, thanks to the Syid, it wa» never completely cut off.